Up & coming Nashville indie artist Eric Paul has the right idea when it comes to gritty pop rock. With strong influences from John Mayer, Jeff Buckley and Jimi Hendrix, Paul has crafted his own edgy sound for his upcoming EP titled, Killer. Paul recorded and co-produced the EP last year with producer and engineer Logan Schlegel and producer Chad Bell in Nashville. John Davis and Sean McDonald join Paul on bass guitar and drums.
We have the pleasure of premiering his title track below. "Killer" will figuratively stab you right in the heart with Eric Paul's catchy yet passionate lyrics and bluesy electric guitar lines.
Download "Killer" on Bandcamp now as you wait for Eric Paul to release the full Killer EP later this year. You can keep up with Eric Paul on Facebook and Twitter.
Almost three years ago to the day, my very first post on this here blog was a Jam of the Day featuring "Despicable Dogs" by Small Black. That song, and the band, still hold a bit of magic for me. It was the first time I'd communicated with a band to procure an MP3 for posting, since there was little to no Soundclouding and Bandcamping done in those days. I felt like a big shot. Hell, I am a big shot, right? Look at me now!
So it's very fitting to post "Free at Dawn" as our Jam of the Day today. It's definitely JOTD-worthy material - chill and and seemingly poised for a beat-breakout that never quite happens. You can totally imagine this being the soundtrack for the title sequence of Drive 2...if they were to make a sequel that is.
Check it out below and pre-order their new LP, Limits of Desire, here.
The last time Sufjan Stevens released a proper record, the world, for me at least, was a very different place. In 2005, my son had yet to enter this world, and my best friend had yet to leave it. Katrina was just a pleasant sounding woman’s name. Bennifer was still a term, Beiber was still pooping his diaper, and MySpace was blowing up the social media world. Tiger Woods was still playing good golf, and John Edwards was getting $400 haircuts because he effing could.
In fact – some newly minted indie-kids may not even realize how big albums like Seven Swans and Illinoise were to us old fogies who’ve been livin’ the dream since Robert Pollard only had 37 albums under his belt.
Well, this weekend Sufjan shook up things by releasing his new EP online for a mere five bucks - so it's time for us all to reacquaint ourselves. Our JOTD, "All Delighted People," gives us the perfect ten minutes of song to do it.
The EP, All Delighted People, is built around two different versions of Sufjan’s long-form epic ballad "All Delighted People," a dramatic homage to the Apocalypse, existential ennui, and Paul Simon’s "Sounds of Silence." Sounds delightful, yes! The song was originally workshopped on Sufjan’s previous tour in the fall of 2009.
Check it out and download the MP3 free below. You can buy it as well, and it's well worth it before the double LP EP (you read that right) drops later this fall.
Last winter, members of Chin Up Chin Up, Bound Stems, The Narrator, Vacations, and a whole host of other Chicago bands got together over two weekends and played it out. A band just so happened to come together as a result of that recording studio reunion, and they took a name that came about from a self-deprecating joke about their mere existence depending on the help of many. Like Pioneers - all makes perfect sense.
Their entire album, Piecemeal, came out of nowhere for me. And to be honest, it's catapulted into my top ten list for the year thus far for sure. It's a completely healthy mix of everything that was great about Chin Up Chin Up, but with that massive feeling you only get when a ton of like-minded musicians collaborate on something that is working.
Check out the Bandcamp player below - and just go ahead and prepare yourself to click that little download button on the bottom left. You can name your own price for the song, and even the album, so give up a buck if you can - it's well worth it.
